Looking for a Tomorrow
by Jinxed-Wood
Summary: [BtVS: Season Six, DW: Post Season Two finale] Tara is still struggling with Willow’s betrayal and finding it hard to find forgiveness in her heart, but a stranger’s pain distracts her from her own, and Tara can’t help but feel for him…
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who and BtVS do not belong to me, they belong to the BBC and Joss Whedon pespectively...pouts**

* * *

Tara bit her lip and sighed as she stepped out of the Magic Box and onto the Californian sunshine. Willow seemed to be on the road to recovery, and she was glad of it, but every time she saw her, and looked into those green, sorrowful eyes, she seemed only capable of feeling pain.

Willow, her soul mate…and her betrayer.

She had invaded her mind and manipulated her. It was hard thing to forgive, maybe even impossible…and yet, she still loved her. Slowly, Tara strolled down the street as she examined her heart. If she'd been asked only a few short months ago whether she could envision a future without Willow in it, she would have laughed in their face. Willow was her air, and her sun, and the moon, and the stars. Willow was the woman she'd been destined to love.

And all that was now left was pain and ashes.

Tara felt the tears rise up and angrily blinked them away. She had shed enough tears, felt enough sorrow. If only she didn't feel so alone…

She halted at the corner of the small street, suddenly not wanting to go back to her small, empty apartment. Longingly, she looked across the street, at the small café filled with laughter and people. Her life had circled around Willow and the Scoobies for so long that the few friends she had made before they'd become a couple had long since drifted away and, while Buffy and Dawn still regarded her as a friend, Willow was family, and so she came first.

Tara smiled wryly as she turned the corner. This wasn't the first time she'd walked through life alone; when her mother died, she'd thought she die from the loneliness. But she hadn't, she'd survived, and she'd survive this. Tara Maclay was made of sterner stuff than people realised.

She quickened her pace as she felt her resolve stiffen. So maybe things weren't perfect right now, maybe the future didn't shine as brightly as it once had, but it was still no excuse to give up on life. The world was still full of beauty and possibilities; all she had to do was grasp them. And she would, starting today…

Tara halted in her tracks as she realised that she'd taken a wrong turn and ended up at the park. While her mind had decided to move on, her feet had let her down. The park had been one of her and Willow's favourite haunts; they used to walk through it every day on the way back from college.

She remembered, with perfect clarity, the last time they'd been there; she'd been so happy, so in love, and she'd literally sung her love at the top of her voice. That had also been the day she'd discovered Willow had put a spell on her. The day Willow had broken her heart in two.

Tara gazed at the park, lost in her memories, had that really happened only a few weeks before? She looked at the pristine lawns, the leafy trees, and the row of park benches that lined the street. It looked exactly the same, except…it didn't.

Frowning, Tara squinted against the sunlight and looked at the large blue box that stood solidly beside one of the benches. It was strange; it looked so out of place, yet people walked by it without so much as a second glance. Little warning bells went off in the back of her mind. This was Sunnydale, Hellmouth central, who knew what the box contained?

Tara absently pulled a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she let her gaze fall onto the bench beside it. On it sat a man, his long arms extended along the back of the bench, his head thrown back in the sun. He was dressed rather formally, by Californian standards, in a brown pinstriped suit and a long camel coloured coat, but a small, lopsided smile hovered on his lips, at odds with his attire. All in all, he looked like a man in perfect repose.

And it was all a lie. Tara knew that with every fibre of her being. This man was alone and in pain, and it emanated from him like a dark, viscous cloud. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was crossing the street, the instinct to help overriding her caution. It wasn't until she reached edge of the bench that her step faltered. What in Hades was she doing? Hadn't her time with the Scoobies taught her anything?

"So, are you just going to stand there all day, or are you going to say something?" Tara jumped as his dark eyes flickered open, and pinned her with an intent gaze.

"S-s-sorry," she said, feeling her cheeks heating as she stammered. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Nothing wrong with being a little rude, if it's in a good cause." His smile widened on his pale, angular face as he slid over and made room for her. "Sit down," he said, then tilted his head as she hesitated. "I don't bite…promise."

Tara smiled, despite herself. He really did have an endearing manner, and his accent reminded her of Giles. "You're British?" she asked shyly as she perched on the edge of the seat.

"No, not exactly," he prevaricated. "I'm from somewhere…very far away."

Her eyes automatically slid to the blue box, and the stranger laughed under his breath. "Observant little thing, aren't you?"

"W-w-what is it?" Tara blurted out.

"It's my home." The pain was now roiling off him in waves, and Tara resisted the urge to flinch.

"It doesn't look very roomy," she ventured as she met his eyes. She regretted almost instantly. It was like looking in to a deep, black well; so filled with loneliness it almost took her breath away.

The stranger stiffened. "Well, well, well, aren't you a turn up for the books," he said softly as he sat up straight. "Haven't met one of _you_ in a long, long while."

Tara smiled nervously. "One of me?"

"Witch," he said succinctly. "And one with a considerable amount of power at that." He leaned forward, his nose almost meeting hers as his dark gaze searched her eyes. "Beautiful," he whispered. "All bright and white, not a shred of darkness. Quite a feat, considering what we're sitting on."

Hastily, Tara dropped her gaze, and the stranger chuckled. "I'm the Doctor," he proclaimed, sticking out his hand.

Cautiously, Tara shook it. "Tara," she offered.

"Ah, Tara, seat of royalty, suits you." Her hand was still enveloped in his as he stood. "Tell me, Tara, do you want to see something wondrous? Because I do; I really, really do."

There was a smile on his face, and a cheerful lilt to his voice, but the grief and longing leeched through it all. He was so alone, so desperately alone. "You're not human, are you?" she asked gently.

A shadow passed across his face. "No, I'm not," he said solemnly. "Does it matter?"

"_Does it?"_ Tara asked herself as she examined his pensive face and felt the warmth of his hand. Surprisingly, the answer came easily. No, it didn't. Tara slowly got to her feet and smiled tentatively. "I'd love to see something wondrous," she told him. "I really, really would."

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

A smile lit up his face, and he gave her hand a squeeze as he tugged her towards the box, his other hand fumbling inside his coat. "Brilliant," he said, "I know just the place. Lovely food, friendly people, and the moons…" he took a deep breath, grinning widely. "No, I think I'll leave that part as a surprise."

Tara found herself smiling in response to his sudden glee. "Sounds lovely," she said. "How are we going to get there?"

He winked as his hand withdrew a yale key, dangling from a long chain, from his coat. "Ah, that's the easy part. We're going to use my ship!"

"Your…ship?" Tara frowned as he slotted the key into the blue box, and twiddled at the lock. Now that she was standing right beside it, it looked even more innocuous that before…even if it did look a bit out of place. "What's a police box?" she asked aloud as she read the notice on the door.

"Oh, just a place that the old British Bobbies used to stuff criminals into when they didn't have any transport at hand," he said offhandedly. "Kinda went out of fashion a few decades ago."

"So, it's a prison cell?" Tara asked, suddenly uncertain.

The Doctor went still and looked at her. "Tara," he said, his voice suddenly gentle. "If you aren't completely certain, you shouldn't come with me."

Tara examined his face. He was completely in earnest, she knew that instinctively. "You're very intense, aren't you?" she observed.

"Yes." The grin reappeared. "But I'm also a lot of fun." He waggled his eyebrows, and Tara laughed, despite herself.

"Good food, you said?"

"Lovely people," he answered promptly.

"And the moons are a surprise…" Briefly, Tara wondered what she'd agreed to. He was a complete stranger and he wasn't human. This wasn't usually a good combination, especially in Sunnydale; and yet, she found herself trusting him implicitly. It was a strange feeling and Tara, usually so cautious, found she rather liked it. "Okay, I'm in," she said, with a determined nod. "Take me to your ship!"

He smirked. "Already have," he told her, nudging the box's door open with his shoulder. "Ladies first."

Warily, Tara threw the Doctor a sideways glance before steeling herself and stepping over the threshold. "Oh…" she uttered, her wide eyes taking in the large chamber, bathed in a golden light. She eyed the raised platform in the centre of the room, and wondered why it was humming.

"Larger on the inside than the outside. Roomier than you thought, eh?"

Tara turned to see the Doctor leaning against the doorway, a large, toothy grin on his face. "Glamour spell?" she guessed.

"Nope," he said, stepping inside.

Tara frowned thoughtfully. "Pocket Dimension?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Good guess! Still wrong, of course, but all the same…used to thinking outside of the box, aren't you?"

"And inside it too, apparently."

"Hah, yes, good one!" He laughed, getting the joke. She felt absurdly pleased about that; a lot of people didn't get her sense of humour. "She's called the TARDIS." He said eventually, patting the wall as if to reassure it. "Stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space."

_Willow would love this,_ Tara reflected, with a pang of regret. _She'd be poking into the corners and babbling excitedly, asking all sorts of questions. _"She's lovely," she said aloud, pushing the thought away.

"Isn't she?" he said, delight evident in his voice. "Shall we take her for a little spin?" he slammed the door shut and sprinted past her, practically leaping onto the platform. "Come on, don't be shy," he said over his shoulder, pulling several levers in quick succession. The hum got louder, and began to pulse, and Tara watched as a large column in the middle of the platform began to move. What was it? How did it work?

Tara climbed the steps and watched with amusement as the Doctor fiddled with several buttons and wrenched a flat screen monitor around so that she could look at it. "See that?" he declared, practically bouncing on his feet. "That's the vortex. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Tara looked at the strange shapes that glowed and swerved across the screen. They seemed to be constantly on the verge of forming a pattern that never appeared. It _was_ beautiful, in a hypnotic sort of way. She smiled up at his expectant face. "You're right," she said, "It's very beautiful."

"Ah Tara, you always know the right thing to say, don't you?" he said with a half sigh, and Tara blushed at the compliment, letting her hair fall to cover her face.

"What does it mean?" she asked, to cover her embarrassment.

"Hard to explain, really," he said. "It's time and space, and all the spectacular possibilities in between. The universe in all its glory…ah, we're nearly there."

The TARDIS shuddered, and Tara uneasily held onto the rail. "Is it supposed to do that?"

"Oh yes, most definitely" he said, nodding furiously as he grabbed her hand from the rail. "Coming?" He had already pulled her halfway down the platforms steps, so Tara assumed the question was rhetorical. Smiling, she gave into the whirlwind that was the Doctor and let him drag her to the door. With a flourish, he threw open the door, and Tara gasped in delight as she took in the view.

"Where are we?" she asked as she looked up at the pale, purple sky, her eyes taking in the three moons that hung there, before they dropped to the shoreline in the distance.

"Abera Amin," he said, bumping shoulders with her as they stood in the doorway. "Has a population of…oh, one billion or so? There are two sentient species, the Beran are aquatic and the Minos are land dwellers. A perfect partnership - no squabbling over space."

"The tides must be phenomenal," she said. "I mean, three moons…"

"Yes," he said, sighing contentedly. "They are. The great high tide occurs once every three months. It's quite a sight. All the house within a ten miles of the shore line have hulls and are anchored so that they don't drift too far…which reminds me, I promised you a meal. Come on, there's a village over the next hill." He tugged on her hand, and Tara stepped onto the springy turf grass. It's colour reminded slightly of heather, a soft mauve purple.

It suddenly struck her that she was another planet. "How far?"

"About three hundred light years," he said, understanding her question.

"Wow," she said breathlessly. "Oh wow."

"Wow indeed," he said, grinning widely as he rolled onto the balls of his feet. "Shall we?" They strolled down the hill, the doctor bobbing excitedly as he pointed out a new plant or a strange bird. Tara listened intently as he started to explain the migratory habits of the G'rabi, and then veered off into an elaborate description of Abera Aminan cuisine. "Wait 'til you taste it," he gabbled excitably. "Lovely, glorious, fantastic foo…oh."

Frowning, Tara followed his gaze, and spotted the large cloud of smoke that rose from beyond the next hill. "What is it?"

"Trouble," he said flatly, his grasp becoming firm as he stalked across the grass.

"B-b-but how can you be sure?" she asked, as she trotted to keep up.

His face became grim, all his good humour falling away. "Because I'm here," he said. "Because that's what I am…trouble." And there it was again, the dark loneliness welling up inside him.

Tara sighed. "You shouldn't say that things like that," she pointed out as their pace sped up. "People might believe you."

"Say what?" he asked, momentarily puzzled.

"That you're trouble."

His eyes darkened as he looked down at her. "But they should believe me, Tara," he said coldly. "Otherwise, what's the whole point?"

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

There was a look on the Doctor's face that Tara found disturbingly familiar. She had seen it before on Buffy, that mixture of anger and determination; but something colder ran beneath the Doctor's expression, and Tara wondered uneasily if he knew how close he was to the edge.

The Doctor didn't seem to have anyone to save him from himself. Well, except for her, but Tara wasn't sure if she could fill the great big gaping hole in his heart.

They gained the top of the hill, and Tara leaned against him as she tried to catch her breath. Below them was a small village, with little wooden houses perched on large, flat-bottomed hulls.

And every single one of them was in flames.

"Who did this?" he said flatly as flames licked the air. "Who would do this? The Amin Aberans are a peaceful people; they wouldn't hurt a fly. There hasn't been a war here in…well, forever."

Tara looked at him, struggling for the right words to say. "Maybe we should see if they need any help?" she suggested.

The Doctor smiled fiercely. "Yes, let's go help them," he agreed. "I'm very good at helping." Tara stumbled down the hill after him, trying to keep up with his long gait, and wondered what kind of help the Doctor had in mind.

The heat of the flames blazed on her face and the Doctor pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here," he said, as he steered them closer to the fire. "Put that over your mouth."

Tara did what she was told as she tried to make sense of the chaos. She could make a out a few silhouettes darting between the burning buildings and assumed they were the villagers, even if they looked a bit odd and shambling.

The Doctor kept going, seemingly unaffected by the flames and smoke, and maybe he wasn't. Tara had first assumed the Doctor was a demon, one of the more amiable kind, but she now suspected his origins were a bit more…. extraterrestrial.

"Doctor," she ventured, pulling the handkerchief from her face. "What are we going to do?"

The Doctor's chin jutted out as he hopped onto the balls of his feet, his eyebrows rising as he glared through the smoke. "We're going to find out who did this and stop them," he said. "This way."

Tara couldn't make out a thing through the smoke but she assumed he knew where he was going. Sure enough, she eventually made out a small group of huddled villagers standing at the edge of the conflagration. The Doctor made a beeline for them and Tara followed. "Who's in charge here?" he demanded.

"I am Nirda, the village mayor," one of the villagers said gruffly, stepping forward. "Who are you?"

Tara eyed him; he was short, barely reaching five foot, and covered in a light grey fur with deep, purple markings along his shoulders and arms. His face was humanoid, with large, catlike eyes. Long, pointy teeth protruded from his mouth. Peaceful looking wasn't the term she'd have picked, but she trusted the Doctor had his facts straight.

"Who, me?" the Doctor said, smiling disarmingly. "I'm the Doctor. What happened here?"

The crowd muttered, and Tara felt a moment of unease as Nirda's eyes slid away. "It is no business of yours, stranger, be on your way," he muttered.

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. "That's a bit rude, isn't it," he said. "Since when did the Abera Aminan's shun strangers?" The muttering in the crowd grew louder, and Tara shifted closer to the Doctor as he rolled on his feet, waiting for an answer. "Well, speak up!" he said, raising his voice when it became obvious no one was about to talk. "I haven't got all day…well, I have, but that's beside the point – hey, you!"

He pointed, pinning a villager who was trying to drift away. "Who, me?" he asked tremulously, wilting under his glare.

"No, the other Minosian who's trying to sneak off into the shadows," the Doctor snapped. "Of course you. What's your name?"

"Leave the boy alone," Nirda snapped. "He's done you no harm."

"I never said he did," the Doctor said, surprise colouring his voice. "Did I say he had?" Tara realised that the last question was directed at her, and she shook her head. The Doctor nodded, satisfied. "Good, glad that's cleared up, then," he chirped.

Tara suppressed to urge to giggle at the confounded look on Nirda's face as the Doctor grinned, shoved his hands in his pockets, and sidestepped around him. "So, as I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted." he drawled, throwing a significant look at the mayor before homing in on the boy. "What's your name?"

"S-s-siron," the boy said.

"Pleased to meet you, Siron," the Doctor said, his tone gentling. "Now, can you tell me what happened here?"

The boy shook his head uneasily and took a step back. "Can't," he said, "Not allowed to."

"_Ah,_ it's like that, is it?" the Doctor said ominously. "Well, nothing for it, I suppose… come on, Tara. Time to go."

"We' re leaving?" Tara asked, puzzled.

"No point hanging around where we're not wanted, is there?" the Doctor said cheerily.

"But—"

"Yes, yes, I know, I promised you dinner. Sorry about that," the Doctor said. "But you see how it is. Best leave them to it; they've obviously decided to die without a fight. Sad really, this was such a lovely world." The crowd began to murmur angrily, and Tara suddenly realised what he was trying to do.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." she sighed. "Pity, I was really looking forward to trying the local food, but I guess there won't be much cooking here from now on. Oh well, let's go."

The Doctor's lips twitched, but he managed to keep a straight face as she held her head up, strolled passed Nirda, and joined him. "How did I do?" she muttered out of the side of her mouth.

"You were brilliant," he said under his breath, as he flashed a toothy smile at the Minosians and hooked his arm through hers. "Well, nice meeting you," he said aloud. "Have a nice death!"

They had barely walked ten yards before Nirda's voice called after them. "Wait! Stop!"

The Doctor winked. "Reverse psychology, works every time," he said softly, before looking over his shoulder. "Yes, did you say something?"

The Minosian shifted unhappily on his feet, his mind obviously at war with itself. "We need help," he admitted eventually.

"But of course you do," the Doctor said simply. "Why else would I be here? Tell me what happened."

Once more, the crowd muttered, and Tara wondered if they were about to end up at square one again. Whatever had happened to these people, it had shaken them badly. Eventually, however, another of the villagers stepped forward. "It was a demon," he said. "A demon did this."

"Ah, how interesting," the Doctor said, after a moment's pause. "And where would we find this Demon?"

"RIGHT HERE."


	4. Chapter 4

It was huge, it was enormous, it looked like a F'narl demon on steroids.

"Quick, you distract him," the Doctor muttered.

"Who? Me?" Tara squeaked as the Doctor hared off into the smoke.

"Just wave your hands at him or something. I'll be right back!"

The villagers scattered, leaving Tara and the Demon alone. "YOU DEFY ME, PUNY MORTAL?" Small puffs of smoke escaped his nostrils as he spoke. At least she now knew how he'd set fire to the village.

"Uh, h-h-hi," Tara stammered, as she frantically tried to think of a spell that would slow him down. Something told her a fireball wouldn't really cut it.

The demon took a step toward her and the ground shuddered. Tara instinctively stepped back and wondered how he'd managed to sneak up on them. Mr Lightfoot he definitely wasn't. "I ASK YOU AGAIN, MORTAL, DO YOU DEFY ME?" the creature asked, almost politely.

"Um, I suppose it depends on what you mean by defy," Tara prevaricated as her mind suddenly grasped onto a spell that might work.

"GOOD ENOUGH." The demon took a deep breath, and Tara caught a glimpse of flames in the back of his throat.

"_Aqua Existus_," she cried, gesturing at his head as she released the spell. Water leapt from her hands, hitting him in the face, and the demon fell to his knees and screamed before crumpling to the ground. Tara stared at the unconscious demon. "Wow, I didn't think it would work _that _well," she breathed.

"Neither did I, brilliant distraction!" Startled, Tara looked up to see the Doctor standing on the other side of the demon, holding a small metallic object, the shape of a pen, in his hand. Realisation dawned, and she took a closer look at the back of the Demon's head. A very large lump was already beginning to form.

"Oh," she said, with a mixture of relief and disappointment

"Sonic screwdriver," he said, by way of explanation, "Never leave home without it."

A thousand questions crowded her head and Tara sighed, settling for one. "So what do we do with him?"

"Not really sure," the Doctor admitted, nudging the unconscious demon with his foot. "Never met a fire demon before. Any suggestions?"

"Well, we could always chop him up," Tara suggested uneasily. "That usually works."

The Doctor paused. "Nah, too messy," he said at last. "Lets just find out where he came from and dump him there." The sonic screwdriver lit up and Tara watched, curious, as the Doctor waved it over the demon. "Huh, that's strange," he muttered distractedly, peering at the demon. "I wonder if I got the settings wrong." He tapped the screwdriver with his finger.

"What is it?" Tara asked worriedly.

"Well, apparently this creature comes from Earth, which sounds mighty unlikely to me – doesn't it sound unlikely to you?" he took a breath. "Hah, of course, he _could_ come from the Hellmouth, which is a really big coincidence since that's where we were before we got here. I don't like those kind of coincidences, It usually means someone is plotting…and not the nice kind of plotting, which happens more often than you'd think. No, this kind of plotting usually ends up in death and destruction and burnt villages!" He waved his hand at the smouldering houses behind them. "Right then, back to Sunnydale we go."

Tara sighed as the Doctor stalked across the grass towards the villagers, who were slowly re-emerging. She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed they were returning to Sunnydale so soon.

She watched as the Doctor cornered the village's mayor and gestured wildly, pointing at the demon and in the direction of the TARDIS several times. The Minosians grouped around him, making him briefly the centre of attention, and Tara smiled as he pulled his hands through his hair, making it stand on end, before strolling back to her.

"Well then, that's settled," he said. "They agreed to haul the demon to the TARDIS for us. Glad to see the back of it, no doubt."

_And the back of us, too, _Tara silently added, as she caught the scowl the mayor threw at the Doctor's back. "What did you say to them?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," he said, shrugging. "Called them a shower of idiots for not trying to stop it sooner, and to hurry up or the bloody thing will wake up and start setting things on fire again."

Tara smirked. In many ways the Doctor reminded her of Anya; so very, very clever, and yet so amazingly stupid at the same time.

The Doctor looked at her suspiciously. "What are you smiling at?"

"You," she said, laughing. "You really are incredibly rude, you know."

A grin lit up his face. "That's me," he said. "Rude to a very sharp point. Come on, let's get back to the TARDIS."

"You still owe me dinner," she teased.

"I've got the makings of a really nice cheese sandwich in the fridge," he said, grabbing her hand. "Promise."

They trundled up the hill in companionable silence, and Tara risked a look at his face. He looked tired, even more tired than he had before. "You know," he said, out of the blue. "You humans never cease to amaze me. You find a great big portal, open to all sorts of nasty dimensions, and what do you do? You set up house on it. I mean, whose bright idea was it to build a town on top of a Hellmouth. What was going through their minds? 'Oh, look, here is this very dangerous looking portal, how darling, all we need now is a mall and a couple of white picket fences and we're all set.'"

"Actually, it was more along the lines of: 'Oh, look, here is a very nasty looking portal and I'm a power hungry soon-to-be-mayor set on immortality; let's build a town on it so I can use its citizens to fuel my demonic ascension and then dine on them when I get turned into a great big snake,'" Tara blurted out.

"How did that work out for him?"

"He got blown up."

"Really?" Grinning, he threw an arm around her shoulder. "Fant_ast_ic."

The TARDIS was exactly where they left it and, with a flourish, the Doctor opened the door. "Hello, old girl," he said to the room at large, as he darted up the runway. "Missed me?"

"You're very attached to her, aren't you," Tara observed as she followed him onto the platform.

"She's the last of her kind," he said. "There's nobody else like her – here, let me introduce you." He grabbed her hand and placed it, palm down, on one of the control panels. "There, can you feel her?"

Tara let her senses stretch down and her eyes widened as she felt the presence. "She's _alive._"

"Well, of course she is. You didn't think I just went around talking to inanimate objects, did you?" Tara blushed; that was _exactly _what she'd been thinking.

The Doctor gave her a knowing look. "I'm not _that_ far gone," he said softly.

"What happened to you?" she asked cautiously, as his gaze became distant.

"Who, me?" he said, his eyes shifting away. "Don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean," Tara said. "But it's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

He shrugged uncomfortably under her eyes. "I don't like talking about it," he admitted, his voice raw. "It hurts too much."

Tara nodded silently and pushed her hair back. "Yes," she murmured. "I know how that goes."

The Doctor threw her a searching look. "And why are you here, Tara…you know, I never did get the rest of your name?"

"Maclay," Tara supplied. "Tara Maclay."

"Tara Maclay," he echoed. "I like it, has a nice ring to it; much better than 'the Doctor'. So tell me, Tara Maclay, why did you say yes? I know I'm a charming fellow, and all, but something tells me you don't swing that way."

"E-e-excuse me?"

The Doctor sighed. "You meet a stranger on a sunny street, and he asks you to come away with him, and what do you say? You say yes," he said. "Why?"

"Because you seemed so lonely," she said, deciding to be honest. "And so was I"

. "Oh, Tara Maclay," he said, at last. "Who hurt so badly?"

Tara was saved from answering by a thump on the door, and she leaned against the rails in relief as the doctor flew down the ramp and threw open the door. "Come in, come in," he said. "Oh bugger, this _is_ going to be a tight squeeze, isn't it?"

TBC 


	5. Chapter 5

After much prodding and poking, the demon was eventually squeezed through the TARDIS's door and dragged into the chamber. Another round of negotiations between the Doctor and the Minosian's ensued, and Tara watched, bemused, as they villagers once again hefted the demon onto their collective shoulders and the Doctor led them through another door on the far side of the chamber.

Curious, Tara trailed after them and discovered that the TARDIS wasn't just bigger on the inside; it was absolutely enormous. The corridors and doors seemed to go on forever.

"Yes, this is the place," the Doctor eventually pronounced, throwing open a pair of double doors to reveal a large, Spartan white room. "Stronger than a fortress." The unconscious demon was dumped unceremoniously in the middle of the floor and the Doctor slammed the doors shut and pointed the sonic screwdriver at the lock. "There, that will hold it," he said cheerily, before shooing the Minosians back up the corridor.

"But what will you do with it when we get to Sunnydale?" Tara asked as they reached the main chamber gain. "You can't exactly let it loose on the streets."

"Oh, something will come up," the Doctor said, as he ushered the Minosians out of the TARDIS. "It usually does, I find." He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "_So… _let's getting cracking, shall we?"

Tara watched as, once again, the Doctor prodded at the TARDIS's controls, pushing and pulling at the levers. Fascinated, she watched the central column, as it began to move, and listened to the throbbing whine. A living ship, it boggled the mind.

"You said she was the last the last of her kind," she said, as she joined him at the console. "What happened to the others?"

The Doctor's face grew still. "There was a war," he said, eventually. "Only the TARDIS survived."

Some instinct told her that she floundered very close to a touchy subject. "And they were others, like you, with them?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, others, like me," he said tersely.

Tara didn't ask if they'd died, she already knew the answer. "You lost."

"Oh no," he said sadly. "We won."

Tara decided not to push it any further, he'd tell her when he was ready. "So," she said briskly, changing the subject. "Sunnydale."

"Ah yes, I was meaning to ask you about that," he said, the grin reappearing on his face. "Nice place to live, is it? Good amenities, great schools, own little Hellmouth handily located near the bus and trains?"

"It's a difficult place to live," Tara admitted. "There is so much darkness there, it's sometimes hard to remember there is good in the world."

"So why live there," the Doctor enquired. "You're a bright girl; shouldn't you have picked up sticks long ago?"

Tara shrugged. "It's complicated," she muttered, pulling at her cardigan.

"Ah," the Doctor said knowingly. "What's her name?"

"W-w-willow," Tara said uncomfortably.

"Pretty name," he observed. "What happened?"

The urge to tell him was overwhelming. She'd had nobody to confide in since she and Willow had broken up. Even the few casual friends she had, who were willing to listen, wouldn't really understand. How could they understand?

Her time with the Scoobies had effectively set her apart from the rest of the students in college. While they were taking weekend trips to LA, or hanging out at the local bar, she had been killing demons and protecting lives. Her life was filled with darkness and magic, and her girl…_ex_-girlfriend was addicted to both.

"It's a long story."

"We've got time." He grinned. "Plenty of it."

So she told him everything. How they met, when they fell in love, her family, her mother, Glory, Buffy, the spell, everything.

"Well," he said, at last. "That's quite a mess."

Tara nodded silently.

"Not unfixable, though."

"I-I'm not so sure of that," she said. "I can't seem to forgive her. Every time I see her, I get so angry that-that—"

"You want to scream and rant, and tell her you hate her," he said. "Understandable, but you still love her, don't you?"

"Yes," she admitted softly.

"Well then, as I said, not unfixable." His face grew sad.

"What about you," she rushed out, unable to stop herself. "What's her name?"

The Doctor went silent, and Tara wasn't sure if he was going to answer. "Rose, he said. "Her name was Rose."

Tara's heart sank at the tone in his voice; there was such a finality to it. "How did you lose her?" she asked gently.

He smiled wryly. "Long story," he said, straightening up. "We're here."

Tara opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. He obviously wasn't ready to talk. "So, what's the plan?"

"The plan?" The Doctor smiled engagingly. "Well, first off we have to find someone with an extensive knowledge in demonology. Shouldn't be problem. As luck would have it I know have a friend with contacts." He threw an arm around her shoulder and grinned.

Tara grinned back. "Anya," she said. "If there's anyone in Sunnydale who knows anything about demons, it's Anya."

"Ah yes, the ex-demon, right?" he drawled. "The one who's about to get married?"

"To Xander," Tara confirmed.

"My, my, Tara Maclay, you do have the most interesting friends."

Tara snorted. "Look who's talking!"

"Who, me? I'm as normal as bread and butter, I am," he said as he sauntered down the ramp. "Real salt of the earth, ask anyone."

"But what sort of earth?" Tara teased as he pushed open the door.

"Trick question." He said, grinning as he held out his hand. Laughing, Tara took it and they strolled onto the street. "See?" the doctor said, waving an arm. "Right back where we started."

Tara sighed. "Yes, we are, aren't we."

The Doctor squeezed her hand. "Just stick with me," he said. "Everything will be okay."

Tara found herself believing him, and her heart lightened as they walked down the street. "It's not far," she told him as they turned a corner.

He nodded absently as he peered around the street. "Strange," he muttered. "I still can't get over the fact they built a town here…I mean, the missionary was bad enough."

The magic box came into to view and Tara resisted the urge to drag her feet. She steeled herself and steered them towards the door.

"The magic box," the Doctor said, reading the sign over the shop. "How appropriate."

"It was Giles's idea," Tara explained. "He figured that, if nothing else, he could keep an eye on who was purchasing what in town."

"I could see why a Watcher would do that," he said enigmatically, and Tara briefly wondered how much he knew about Watchers and Slayers. A lot more than he was saying, she suspected.

The bell chimed as she opened the door and Tara stepped inside, the Doctor at her heels. Anya was busy at the counter, ringing up a purchase. Shyly, Tara descended the steps and coughed to get her attention.

"_Tara!"_

Tara staggered back as she suddenly found herself with an armful of Anya, squeezing her tight. "Anya…can't breath," she managed.

"Tara, I'm so glad to see you," she squealed. "We thought you'd been eaten, or run off with a cult or something."

Tara frowned. "Anya, what are you talking about? I was here only a few hours ago."

"A few hours ago?" the ex-demon said disbelieving. "Tara, nobody has seen you in over three weeks!"

The Doctor smiled guiltily. "Oops."


	6. Chapter 6

Tara slowly sat on a chair as she let Anya's words sink in; three weeks, _three weeks._ "That's impossible," she said, as she tried to wrap her mind around the news.

"Ah, yes, about that," the Doctor said. "I forgot to mention that the TARDIS can also travel through time, didn't I?"

"I think I'd remember it, if you had," Tara said dryly.

"Time travel?" Anya asked, perking up as she eyed the Doctor. "That's supposed to be impossible."

"No, just improbable," the Doctor said, leaning against a bookshelf as he surveyed the shop. His head tilted up as he noticed the mezzanine. "Let me guess," he said. "That is where you keep all the interesting stuff!" In a blink, he was across the room and taking the steps, two at a time. "Oooh, what's this?" he asked, as he held a book aloft. "It looks like a Carthagian prayer book, but it's written in Minoan."

"Be careful with that!" Anya said. "It's an Atlantian summoning ritual and it's very, very expensive."

"Ah, but does it work?" the Doctor asked, perching a pair of glasses on his nose as he began rifling through the shelves.

"Is he always like this?" Anya asked frostily. A precarious book pile was beginning to form in the Doctor's arms.

"Pretty much," Tara admitted.

"We were very worried about you, you know," Anya scolded, suddenly remembering Tara's disappearance. "Willow was all manic and scary, we thought she was going to drop off the wagon – I've barred her from the magic box."

Tara winced. "Is she okay?" she asked.

"Well, she still looks like she's in need of some fashion sense, but she hasn't used magic, if that's what you mean," Anya said huffily. "Buffy calmed her down; she and Spike have been combing Sunnydale every night and Dawn even put up 'missing' flyers…and Xander hasn't wanted sex for days," she added, for good measure.

Tara sighed. "I'd better call Buffy," she said, getting to her feet.

Anya's eyes narrowed. "I'd hold off, if I were you," she said. "At least until you came up with a way of explaining _him_."

Puzzled, Tara followed her gaze. "Who, the Doctor?" she said, surprised. "Why would I need to worry about that?"

"He's a stranger and he isn't human," Anya pointed out. "You know how Buffy gets about that sort of thing…and he is responsible for your disappearance."

"But it was accident," Tara protested. "And he's not a demon, he's just…not human."

"He's an unknown, and an outsider, Tara," Anya said calmly. "They're going to ask a lot of questions. Are you sure they'll like his answers?"

Their eyes met and Tara nodded. Both she and Anya knew what it meant to be an outsider in the Scooby gang. It took them a while to warm up to people. "He doesn't want to harm us," Tara said, at last.

"Doesn't mean he's not dangerous," Anya muttered.

"Are you two finished talking about me, or shall I stay up here for a little longer?" the doctor called down, bending over the rail.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," Anya informed him, crossing her arms.

"But how would I know what people were saying about me if I didn't?" he asked as he descended the steps. The pile of books wobbled in his grasp, and Tara could hear Anya mutter under her breath as she hastily stepped forward and grabbed the ones tucked under the Doctor's chin.

"Thanks," he said, as he dumped the rest of the books on the table. "Quite a collection you've got here. I presume the Watcher had something to do with that?"

Anya sniffed noncommittally as she sat at the table and looked at the books she'd 'rescued' from the Doctor. "_Fire and Brimstone: Breathing the Flame Through the Ages,"_ she recited. "_Demonica Incendius, The Abraxus Aphillia: a brief compendiary," _She raised an eyebrow. "_Draconius et Dracon…_I think I'm beginning to see a trend here; although I don't know what the_ The Abraxus Aphillia _has got to with it."

"Just curious," the Doctor said, grinning at her, and Anya smiled back before she remembered herself and changed it into a frown.

"We're investigating a demon that breathes fire," Tara said, amusement colouring her voice.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Anya declared. "What did it look like? I might know it."

Tara wasn't sure if Anya meant she might know the species or the actual demon, but decided to let the matter lie. "Um, it has big, curling horns and blue skin," she said. "And it's about nine feet tall."

Anya nodded and flipped through the_ Demonica Incendius_. Eventually, she found the page she was looking for and turned the book around. "That it?"

Tara looked at the drawing. "Yes, that's it."

"H'rarli Goyan," the Doctor said, reading from the page as he pulled the book out of Anya's hand. "The largest member of the Genii family, can grow up to 280 centimetres high; responds to the traditional summoning, and is usually held in a container no more than forty cubic centimetres. Limited wish capacity, but has strong destructive capabilities due to its ability to breathe fire."

"It's a _Genie?"_ Tara asked, surprised. "But I thought Genies wore Turbans and were kind of…I don't know, more Genie like."

"You're thinking about the H'rarli Abu," Anya said matter-of-factly. "Although they're not exactly how you'd picture them, either. The H'rarli Goyan are rarer and hardly ever used. They can appear anywhere at will, can grant small, material wishes and set things on fire." She shrugged. "Compared to their more popular cousin, they're not that special."

"So somebody rubbed a lamp and there he was?" the Doctor mused aloud. "Who would have anything against the Minosians? It doesn't make sense."

"It's a wish demon," Anya pointed out. "Wish demons rarely carry out their wishes the way their clients envisioned. The wish could have been something innocuous, something like: "Oh, I wish so-and-so knew what it was like to have a bad day'. Believe, I should know."

"Ah yes, you were in the wish business yourself, weren't you?" the Doctor drawled.

"I'm human now," Anya said primly. "I don't do that sort of thing anymore."

"You know," Tara said slowly. "This still smells fishy; even if the wish had backfired, how would someone here know about the Minosians? I mean, they're not exactly locals…"

"There must be something we're missing," the Doctor said. "Some factor we're not taking into account."

Realisation dawned on Tara. "_Us," _she exclaimed. "We're the extra factor!"

The Doctor smiled approvingly. "I think you've hit the nail on the head."

Alarmed, Anya jumped to her feet. "But you're in my shop!" she said. "Do you realise how much damage a H'rarli Goyan would do if it appeared here?"

"Oh, not much danger of that," the Doctor said dismissively. "I've got him safely locked up."

"Um, Doctor," said Tara, as a thought occurred to her. "Didn't the description say it could appear anywhere at will?"

The Doctor straightened in his seat. "That could be a problem," he admitted.

"What could be a problem?" a flat voice drawled. "Do tell."  
Tara turned in her seat and saw Buffy standing at the back door, arms crossed. "H-h-hi, Buffy."

Buffy's stern expression melted. "Tara, you're okay," she said, her smile glowing as she crossed the room and hugged her. "I was so worried. Where were you?"

"It's a long story," Tara said, hugging her back. "I'm sorry I put you to so much trouble."

"Don't be silly," Buffy said. "I'm just glad to see you're back."

The Doctor rose to his feet and coughed. "Hi, I'm the Doctor," he said, giving her a toothy grin.

Buffy's lips twitched in amusement. "Do you have a name to go with that title," she asked.

"No, but I can make one up if you'd like," he declared, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Will John Smith do?"

Buffy gave him an appraising look. "You sound British," she said.

"I'm not, but you've already figured that out, haven't you?" he said amiably. "Good instincts; is that a Slayer attribute or something you've developed yourself?"

Buffy threw Tara a look, and she blushed. "I told him," she admitted, embarrassed.

"I swear, I must be the worst kept secret in the universe," she sighed. "I might as well just take out a full page ad in the papers: '_I'm a Slayer, ask me how'"_

"Hello?" Anya cut. "Fire breathing Genie on the loose, remember?"

"A Genie?" Buffy repeated. "Like Sinbad and the lamp?"

"More like George and the Dragon," the Doctor said.

"_Figures."_


	7. Chapter 7

"So, let me get this straight; you and Tara went to another planet, for a quick bite to eat, when you stumbled across a fire breathing Genie burning the natives to a crispy crisp," Buffy sighed. "I don't know what I find more disturbing; the fact that you said that with a straight face, or that I actually believe you. I've been living on the Hellmouth too long." Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Buffy threw her a glance brimming with questions.

"Yes, yes, your life is full of Hellmouthy goodness," Anya cut in, before Buffy could open her mouth. "Now, can we _please_ kill the demon before it kills us?"

Buffy sighed. "We'll need more information. We have to know how to find this kind of demon, and who would have the power to summon one…" her voice drifted off and Anya snorted.

"Oh please, we all know who makes it to the top of the suspect list," she said, tossing her hair. "This stunt has Willow's paw prints all over it."

"N-n-no," Tara said. "She not using magic anymore. She wouldn't, not after what happened to Dawn."

Anya sighed impatiently. "She's an addict, Tara, and you'd be surprised how easily an addict can justify falling off the wagon."

The Doctor, his face solemn for once, leaned back in his chair. "She may have a point, Tara," he said. "From what you've told me, this seems very in character."

For a moment, Tara entertained the thought, but swiftly brushed it aside. "No," she said firmly. "It isn't Willow."

The Doctor studied her face for a moment, then smiled slowly. "So, it isn't Willow," he pronounced. "Who would be next on the list?"

"Rack!" Anya said suddenly, jumping to her feet. "It would be just the kind of slimy trick a guy like him would try! Especially as we all know that Tara is probably the only real reason Willow has kept on the straight and narrow…no offence to Dawn and her broken arm," she added lamely

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Rack?"

"Warlock," Buffy said simply. "Specialises in feeding off the magic of others and sends them on a happy trip in return."

Tara sighed. "He's going to be difficult to find," she said. "He moves location a lot and keeps his place hidden under a cloak."

"Willow will know," Buffy said softly.

The Doctor slid back his chair. "Then I suppose we should pay her a visit," he said lightly, but his eyes were full of concern as he looked at Tara.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, we should," she said, ignoring the knot in her stomach as she got to her feet.

"She's at home," Buffy supplied. "She hasn't been going out much lately."

The Doctor took Tara's hand in his and smiled down at her. "You have to do this anyway," he told her. "You can't leave it to fester for ever."

"I'll join you," Buffy said, raising an eyebrow at the handholding. It was funny, Tara had so easily accepted the Doctor's touchy feely ways that she'd forgotten what it might look like to others. Her mouth quirked as she wondered if Buffy thought she'd suddenly gone straight.

Her mood lightened, she ventured a smile. "Come on," she said, pulling on his hand

"That's _my_ line," he said, only half jokingly as he let himself be dragged to the door.

"Hey, this is my turf," she teased. "Here, _you_ get to be the sidekick!"

"And what does that make you? Wonder Woman?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of Hermione."

"Ah, but she's a secondary character," he pointed out smugly as she opened the door. "Doesn't count."

A giggle from behind them caught Tara's attention, and she looked over her shoulder to see Buffy grinning widely. "What?" she asked, self-consciously.

"Oh, nothing," the Slayer said, smirking. "Although, you might want to tone down the double act and the handholding when we get home. Willow is a bit fragile at the moment and she might get the wrong idea!"

"What!" the Doctor looked momentarily flustered, then quickly recovered. "I can hold hands with you, too, if you'd like," he offered cheekily. "Give them real fodder for thought!"

Buffy let loose a gale of laughter, and Tara stared in surprise. It had been so long since she'd heard Buffy really laugh; she'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. "How about you let _me_ lead," she said, smirking as she brushed passed them and onto the street. "That way you two won't have to argue about who goes first."

"Is she always like this?" the Doctor muttered out of the side of his mouth.

"She's the Slayer," Tara said under her breath. "Being bossy kind of goes with the territory."

"I heard that," Buffy said, in a singsong voice, tapping her foot on the pavement. "Super Slayer hearing, remember."

The Doctor pouted but winked at Tara as they followed Buffy down the street. There was a bounce to her step that Tara hadn't seen in a long while and it occurred to Tara that maybe the Doctor had actually manoeuvred Buffy into taking the lead on purpose because he'd already figured out she'd be happier that way; she wouldn't put it past him.

The doctor suddenly grinned, and Tara suddenly had the uneasy feeling he knew what she was thinking. "So, this Rack fellow, how bad is he?" he asked Buffy.

"In terms of sliminess, pretty bad," she admitted. "But kind of a nobody in the bigger, Hellmouthy apocalypse scheme of things."

"But he's definitely the sort of person who'd have a genie in a bottle," Tara mused aloud. "He'd get a kick out of having that kind of power over a demon."

"Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yup, just his style."

They walked companionably through the town centre, the Doctor peering about curiously as he asked Buffy about her life. Surprisingly, Buffy answered quite openly, although Tara did note she skirted around the topic of boyfriends.

Nevertheless, by the time they'd reached Buffy's driveway, the Doctor had pried all sorts of strange, personal minutiae out of her. Some of them, like Buffy's penchant for ice-skating, had come as a bit of a surprise. Tara watched in amusement as Buffy listened in wrapt attention to the Doctor's description of an ice world, called Rean, where skating was literally a way of life.

"I'd like to see that," Buffy eventually said, and Tara heard the longing in her voice.

"Oh, ya never know, maybe something could be…hallo, who's that?"

Tara followed his gaze and frowned as he saw who was coming down the driveway. "Amy," she said tersely.

"The one who was a rat?" the Doctor asked curiously

"Still is, as far as I'm concerned," Buffy muttered under her breath, crossing her arms as Amy approached. "I thought I told you not come back here," she said coldly.

"Just wanted to see how Willow was coping," she said smoothly.

"She's coping just _fine_, so why don't you toddle off and find a new playmate." Buffy declared, and Tara mentally cheered her on.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving," she said, raising her hands in a gesture of defeat. "I already got the message from Willow."

"Not a nice girl," the Doctor observed quietly as she strolled down the street. "You know, maybe we should put another name onto our suspect list."

Startled, Tara looked at the serious expression on his face. "You don't think…?"

"Oh, but I do," he said flatly. "I most certainly do."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

Tara tried not to drag her feet as they climbed the steps, but she couldn't keep the heavy knot in her stomach from pulling tighter. "How bad is she?" she murmured to Buffy as she put the key in the door.

Buffy shrugged uncomfortably. "She's tired, distracted," she said briefly. "Worried sick about you." Tara nodded silently and smiled briefly at the Doctor as he squeezed her hand before letting it drop to her side.

"Don't worry," he said, out of the corner out of his mouth. "If she throws a fireball at us, I'll pull us out – I _hate _domestics."

Tara smiled wryly as she shook her head. "Not really Willow's way," she said. "She's more into the passive aggressive method of dealing with conflict."

The Doctor shuddered. "That's even worse," he said fervently, and Tara wondered what he was thinking about as he peered into the now open doorway.

"Do you have a family?" she asked, curious. It was funny, she felt like she'd known him all her life, but she knew so little about his past.

"No, no family," he said quietly, as they stepped into the hallway.

A squeal came from the top of the stairs, and Tara looked up to see Dawn grinning widely as she took the steps two at a time. "Tara!" she said, as she pulled her into a tight hug. "Where were you? We were so worried!"

"Tara?" Willow's voice sounded uncertain as she appeared in the middle of the living room floor.

"Willow," Tara said, smiling uncertainly. She'd lost weight, she thought, with a sigh, as a silence fell in the house.

"Oh, for Rassilon's sake," the Doctor muttered under his breath, thrusting out his hand. "How do you do, I'm the Doctor – haven't seem any fire-breathing Genies wandering around the place lately, have you?"

Willow blinked and stared at the hand. "Huh?"

"No, not you then," he declared. "Nobody can fake that amount of bewilderment."

A frown appeared on Willow's face. "Can someone tell me what's going on?" she asked. "And who is he?" The Doctor rolled his eyes at the question, and Tara poked him in the side.

"He's the Doctor, a friend of mine," Tara said, looking at him warningly. "Although that might change in the near future."

"Doctor who?" Willow asked, and the Doctor groaned.

"Just call me Smith," he said impatiently. "Can we get back to the Genie now? I don't like the idea of him waking up in my TARDIS and wreaking havoc with her wiring!" Discreetly, Tara kicked him in the ankle and raised her eyebrows innocently as he glared at her. "What? What did I do now?"

"Deep breaths, I hear it helps," Tara said dryly, and Buffy giggled as an affronted look crossed the Doctor's face.

Willow crossed her arms, her resolve face clearing the puzzlement from her expression. "First, you disappear for two weeks, without telling anyone," she said tersely. "Then, you turn up at the door with a guy called_ Smith_, who obviously has some kind of weird obsession with Genies! What in Hades is going on here, Tara?"

Sighing, Buffy stepped forward. "Willow, somebody sent a fire breathing Genie after Tara," Buffy said solemnly. "So far, the only name that has come up is Rack."

"Rack?" Willow said, her face suddenly crumpling as she took a step towards Tara. "Oh Goddess, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tara said reassuringly. "The Doctor managed to put him under before he could get to me, but…but people were killed, Willow."

Willow nodded grimly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of…oh," her face fell. "I'm sorry, Tara, I'm not sure I can handle Rack without losing control and—"

Instinctively, Tara put her arms around her and pulled her close. "Shhh, don't worry," she murmured into Willow's hair. "Everything is going to be alright."

"It is?" Willow asked softly, and Tara realised that Willow was not talking about the Genie.

"Yes, it is," Tara said, smiling as she realised she spoke the truth. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"Sorry to interrupt," the Doctor said softly, and Tara glanced at him, noticing the sudden sadness in his eyes. "But we still need to track down the bottle before the Genie wakes up."

"Yes," Willow said, nodding. "But, the thing is, I'm not sure where he is at the moment. I broke all ties with the community…" Her voice trailed off as she frowned thoughtfully. "Amy will know," she eventually said, her voice becoming firm.

"Rat girl?" the Doctor asked, his voice suddenly sharp. "She knows Rack?"

Buffy sighed. "I think you may be barking up the wrong tree, Doctor," she said. "I'm not a exactly her biggest fan, but I don't think she's capable of murder."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Willow said lowly. "Rack has got her pretty hooked…she was just here, trying to convince me to go with her to his place. I think he's pressurising her…he likes me," she added, with a shiver.

"Does he, indeed?" the Doctor said, his eyes narrowing, and Tara felt a shiver of foreboding.

"It's too dangerous," she said, shaking her head.

"Not as dangerous as it's going to be when that Genie wakes up," he countered. "In the vortex, the TARDIS's shielding is unbeatable but, here, on top of the Hellmouth? I'd rather not risk the chance a teleporting demon could beat her."

"Who's this TARDIS you keep talking about?" Willow asked, puzzled.

"The Doctor's ship," Tara said, grinning suddenly. "Wait until you see her. You're going to love it!" Her grin faltered as she saw a shadow pass across the Doctor's eyes.

"Yes, that would be interesting," he said, his voice suddenly muted. "But first we have to find Rack."

"Right," Willow said, drawing in a deep breath. "I'll give Amy a ring."

Tara frowned. "What if she suspects something?" she asked.

"She won't," Willow muttered. "She doesn't believe I can beat this; she told me as much when she was here. All I need to do is convince her we've had an argument, or something, and I've had enough of being magic free. She'll believe it. She doesn't understand why someone would give up that much power."

"Don't worry," the Doctor said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "I'll make sure she won't spring any unexpected surprises on you."

Willow threw him a curious look, before glancing at Tara's face questioningly. "He's pretty good at keeping his promises," Tara said quietly.

"Okay, then," Willow said slowly. "Let's do this."


	9. Chapter 9

Tara lingered in the doorway as Willow spoke into the phone. Try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and she'd learned to follow her instincts a long time ago.

"No, we'll meet at Rack's place," Willow murmured into the phone, giving Tara a weak smile as she uttered the words. "Buffy might suspect something if you turned up here..." She paused as Amy said something down the phone line, then hurriedly grabbed a pen. "Yes, I know where it is," she said as she wrote down an address. "See you there…yes, yes, I know, eight o'clock." With a relieved sigh, she hung up the phone. "I've got it," she said simply.

"Good, good!" the Doctor said cheerily, clapping his hands together as he jumped to his feet. "Well, no time for dilly-dallying, let's go and have a little chat with this Rack person."

"Dilly-dallying?" Buffy asked, her tone amused. "Not even Giles sounds that British. What century are you from, exactly?"

"Ah, that's the question!" the Doctor exclaimed, grinning manically, and Tara suppressed a groan. She knew things had been going too well.

"Doctor," she said hurriedly. "We should be getting a move on."

"What?" the Doctor blinked. "Ah, you're right, of course. Genies to bottle, sorcerers to conquer and all that."

"Actually, technically he's a warlock," Willow murmured quietly.

The Doctor frowned. "There's a difference?"

"Yes, thankfully," Willow said, with a shudder. "A warlock can channel power but they can rarely raise it themselves. They usually affiliate themselves with a god or a demon, but there are other ways for them to garner a power source, like using an especially powerful amulet or artefact-"

"Or people," the Doctor said, nodding. "And sorcerers?"

"Sorcerers don't need outside help to raise power, the can raise it directly from the source, hence the name 'sorcerer'," Willow said. "A warlock will eventually run out of steam, if you press them hard enough, and there are ways of leeching their power away, but a sorcerer doesn't have that weakness. The only way of stopping a sorcerer is by literally reaching inside of them and shielding their ability to wield."

"Which is very dangerous," Tara cut in. "You're literally at the mercy of their thoughts. People who have attempted it have literally lost their minds."

"I see, " the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Interesting. I've always wondered about human 'magic'. Technically, it shouldn't work, but empirical evidence suggests…"

"_Doctor_," Tara interrupted, before he could go off in another tangent. "Fire breathing Genie, remember?" Until now, the others hadn't asked too many questions about the Doctor's background, seemingly content to go along with whatever he said. Tara was definitely beginning to suspect he may have some innate ability to make people trust him…but there was such a thing as pushing things too far. There was already a frown developing on Willow's face.

"Oh, right, yes!" the Doctor said. "Sorry."

"_Human _magic?" Willow mouthed at Tara as the Doctor bounced in the direction of the door.

"He gets around a lot," Tara mumbled.

"He's kinda cute," Dawn announced as she pulled on a cardigan.

"He's also kinda too old for you," Buffy said dryly. "And where do_ you_ think you're going?"

"I thought I'd come along. You know - be your backup?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "I think we're good," she drawled. "Besides, don't you still have homework to do?"

Dawn threw herself back onto a chair. "Spoilsport."

"Yup, that's me, bane of your life. Now, remember, no answering the door to strangers, no after dark trips to the crypt, and_ no_ ordering pizza"

"I'm surprised you haven't decided to get a babysitter," Dawn muttered.

A thoughtful frown crossed Buffy's face.

"Don't you dare!"

Buffy smirked, but said nothing as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Ready?" the Doctor called impatiently, from the hallway.

"Is he always this chirpy?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much," Tara said. _Except when he's not,_ she added silently. "Things seem to be better between you and Dawn," she said, changing the subject.

"Yes," Buffy said hesitantly. "We're still not there yet…but things are improving. At least it doesn't automatically turn into a shouting match every time we talk anymore."

"And Spike?" Tara asked, lowering her voice.

A shadow crossed Buffy's face. "It's over."  
"Well,_ come_ on," the Doctor said grumpily, poking his head into the living room. "We haven't got all day, you know!"

A crease developed on Buffy's forehead as she heard the front door open. "Ya know, it's strange, he seems to have this strange effect on people… I mean, why are we listening to him? This isn't some weird spell, is it?"

Tara shrugged uncomfortably. "It's just part of who he is, I think," she said. "Do me a favour, Buffy, just go along with it."

"What aren't you telling me, Tara?" Buffy asked softly.

"He's lost someone recently," Tara explained reluctantly. "And I think he needs a distraction, something to stop him thinking about…"

Buffy nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I know how that goes," she said sadly.

The Doctor was standing in the driveway, shifting restlessly on his feet, when they eventually stepped outside. Willow stood beside him, her arms wrapped around herself as if she was cold. "This might be a bit tricky," she mumbled. "Amy isn't supposed to be meeting me until eight."

"But we already have the address," the Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah," Willow said. "But Rack will know something is up if I arrive before Amy… he always knows."

A sudden grin crossed the Doctor's face. "Guess we'll have to take him by surprise, then," he said cheerfully.

"And how are we supposed to that?" Willow asked worriedly. "Tara doesn't use offensive magic and I can't-" Willow took a deep breath. "I just can't."

"Ah, but 'magic' isn't everything," the Doctor declared. "Sometimes a good plan, and some hefty technology, can do the trick just as well!"

"Huh?" The word popped out of Buffy and Willow's mouth at the same moment, and the Doctor's grin grew wider still. Sometimes, he reminded Tara of a really skinny Cheshire cat.

"Care for a little trip?" he asked nonchalantly, as he led them down the street. "Well, more like a hop, skip and a jump, really - or a quick pop around the corner to the shops for a bag of crisps and coke-"

"Doctor!" This time Tara chimed in, and Willow smiled as Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, right, sorry." The Doctor looked slightly bashful. "Well, its like this, he's a 'warlock', isn't he, and he needs to tap into his power source in order to become a real threat. Now, I'm thinking that a certain amount of empathic ability is needed to be able to generate a psychic field in that way – not as rare as you'd think in the human race - but as it happens, I have at hand something that might give us an edge. A way of negating his ability without having to resort to…oh, you know." The Doctor waved an imaginary wand. "_Magic._" 

Tara's lips twitched. "You don't believe in it, do you?" she asked.

"Believe in what?"

"Magic!" Tara said, smiling, "I can practically hear the inverted commas drop into place every time you say the word."

"Ah, well, magic is such a relative term," the Doctor said evasively.

"We're sitting on a Hellmouth; only a few hours ago you were discussing ancient texts with an ex-demon; you've got a_ Genie locked up in your ship_…how can you not believe in magic?"

"Um, experience?" the Doctor said uncomfortably, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Then explain the Hellmouth!"

"You mean the inter-dimensional portal rift?" The Doctor shrugged. "Nasty, I admit, but not exactly _magical_…there has always been weak spots in the fabric of what you'd call reality. Although I have to admit this one is unusually active – not even the one in Cardiff is _this_ busy. It's practically a _throughway _around here."

"Cardiff?" Buffy asked. "There's a Hellmouth in Cardiff? Why do I never hear about this kind of stuff? Is there some kind of circular going around that everyone gets except me?" 

"Actually," Willow said thoughtfully. "I do believe Giles mentioned it once, but it hasn't been active in over a century."

"Oh, right," the Doctor scratched his head. "Keep forgetting the date…um, forget I said anything."

Tara made a mental note to check out Cardiff online when she got home, it never hurt to be too prepared. "And Anya?" she teased.

"Ah, well, a little more tricky, I'd admit," the Doctor admitted. "But it's not unheard of to change species. In fact, I have a… ah, well, best not discuss that, really…"

"But demons," Buffy pressed. "How do you explain demons?"

"Remnants of an elder age," the Doctor said. "At least, in this dimension it is. Still going on elsewhere, I've no doubt. This was the only dimension that we-" The Doctor halted, a dark shadow crossing through his eyes. "But I suppose that no longer holds," he eventually murmured. "Nothing to keep them in check anymore. No elders, no…us, just me." The Doctor blinked, as if coming out of a daze. "Ah, we're here!" he declared.

"Where?" Willow asked, puzzled.

"Home," the Doctor said simply, as he pulled the TARDIS's key from around his neck.

"Home? But I though you said you had a shi-" Willow stopped, mid-sentence, as the Doctor inserted the key into the TARDIS's lock. "Uh, Tara," she said worriedly, under his breath. "Are you sure your friend is, you know, all_ there_?" 

Tara tried to not let a smile creep onto her face. "Whatever do you mean?" she teased.

"It's a…a box," she hissed, as the TARDIS's door opened. "A blue, wooden box…with windows and…and…why does it say 'Police Box'?"

"I know, I know," Tara said gravely. " I did try to convince him to change the name to something more generic, like 'Home Sweet Home' or 'Shangri La', but he was having nothing of it…and you don't want to know what he said when I suggested _curtains_."

"Sweetie," Willow said flatly. "You know I love you, but sometimes you're a little too quirky even by _my_ standards."

"Are you two done yet?" the Doctor asked, his tone amused as he lounged against the TARDIS's doorway. 

Curious, Buffy peeked over his shoulder, her eyes narrowing as she tried to get her mind around what her eyes were seeing. "Wait a minute." Forcefully, she brushed past the Doctor and stepped inside the TARDIS. "_Huh,_" she said, her voice echoing slightly as it wafted through the doorway. "_No wonder you're so blasé about inter-dimensional portals…cool_."

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise, and Tara grinned. "Not as blonde as she looks," she mouthed, as she hooked her arm through Willow's and pulled her into the TARDIS.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

"Ooooh wow," Willow said, her voice hushed. "Oh wow, oh wow, oh…is this what I think it is?" She whirled on her feet and stared at the Doctor, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Depends. What_ do _you think it is?" he asked, his tone curious as he closed the door behind him.

"Well, at first I though it was an alternate dimension, but it isn't, is it?" she said softly, gingerly reaching out to stroke the curve of the wall. "At least, not the quantum physics version of alternate worlds. It's still in this reality, or at least connected it…"

"And?" the Doctor prompted, a touch of excitement in his tone.

"The fourth dimension," she breathed. "That's it, isn't it? It's not supposed to be possible, humans are not supposed to be able to perceive it. It's way too outside our biological brain's capacity…?" She threw him a questioning look.

"You're right, it is," he said, with soft smile. "The TARDIS is altering you perceptions so your mind can process it. Not bad, most humans don't get much beyond 'bigger on the inside'."

"So I'm right?"

"Partly," the Doctor admitted, his voice deceptively casual. "And partly not."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

A grin suddenly appeared on the Doctor's face. "And deny you the fun of trying to figure it out for yourself?" he asked as he bounded up to the controls.

"But how am I going to figure it out by myself?" Willow demanded.

"Oh, something tells me you'll manage!" the Doctor said, a knowing look in his eyes.

Tara's eye's narrowed as she remembered the TARDIS's ability to travel in time. Her mind flitted back to his earlier reaction to the thought of Willow seeing the TARDIS's interior. Could it be…? She shook her head; best not to think about it, it would only give her a headache.

"So, how does this work?" Buffy asked, curious, as she leaned against the control's guardrail. "And before you mention quantum thing-gummies, may I point out I was a humanities major? Buffy and theorems, not mixy!"

The Doctor hesitated. "Well, basically, I'm going to materialise the TARDIS around Rack and use her shields to cut him off from his power source. Not very fancy, as plans go, but…" he shrugged, as if embarrassed his plan wasn't more complicated.

"Sound's good to me," Buffy said, matter-of-factly. "I'm a kick the door down kinda gal myself."

"Yes, you are, aren't you?" the Doctor said, a smirk developing on his face.

Buffy smirked back. "Me muscle, me don't think," she joked. "But seriously, any ideas about how to get the Genii's lamp out of him?"

"Oh, I'm sure something will turn up."

"Ah, the old 'make it up as we go along' plan," Buffy said dryly. "My personal favourite."

Tara felt a nudge against her arm, and caught the grin on Willow's face as she rolled her eyes in Buffy's and the Doctor's direction. Tara repressed a wistful sigh, and shook her head in response. Willow raised her eyebrows, but Tara kept her thoughts to herself; she had promised Buffy to keep her not-relationship with a certain blond vampire a secret and somehow she didn't think the Doctor would appreciate her discussing Rose and his broken heart.

The TARDIS began to hum expectantly as the Doctor adjusted a few levers, a crease of concentration forming on his brow. "Better hold on," he said. "These short trips can be a bit dodgy sometimes." Taking him at his word, Tara grabbed onto the railing and Willow followed suit.

The Doctor grinned fiercely as he swivelled a knob and wound up a gear, his eyes glued to the monitor. "Oh, nearly forgot!" he suddenly said, slapping his forehead. "The address?"

Willow leaned away from the rail and handed him the slip of paper, and he muttered under his breath for a moment before twiddling a few dials that seemed to be haphazardly attached to the console with a few loose wires. "Here we go!"

The column in the centre of the console began to move, and the Doctor laughed with glee as he watched its pulsating glow. Buffy's mouth formed into a silent 'oh' as the TARDIS began to shiver and throb gently, the engine's hum rising to a deep, rhythmic pounding.

"Does it always do this?" Willow asked, a quiver of fear in her voice.

"Completely normal," Tara reassured her.

The Doctor hummed tunelessly under his breath as he studied the monitor, his hands hovering over the console. "That should do it," he eventually pronounced as he stabbed a button and pulled a lever, "Hold on, this is the tricky part!"

For a split second, the TARDIS's walls became transparent, and Willow let out a cheep of surprise. "That's Rack's place."

The Doctor nodded. "Yup, but I think I may have to fast forward us a bit, he doesn't seem to be in." The TARDIS's engines screeched, and Tara automatically felt for Willow's hand, who took it gratefully. Once again, the TARDIS's walls faded but, this time, a ghostly figure appeared on the ramp, a look of shock plastered on his face.

"That him?" the Doctor asked, and Willow nodded, speechless. The walls became solid, as did the ghostly figure on the ramp. Tara eyed him; she'd never met Rack in person before and only knew him by reputation. He looked every bit as sleazy as she'd imagined him.

"Hallo there, I'm the Doctor! " the Doctor said breezily as Rack looked around wildly, spotted Buffy, and then ran for the door. "That really won't do you much good, I'm afraid, deadlock seal." The Doctor gave him a commiserating smile as Rack wrenched at the handle.

"You can't touch me, Slayer, I'm human," Rack eventually rasped out, unable to keep the waver out of his voice as he pressed his back up against the wall, his eyes darting around the control room."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, looking at Buffy. "A bit limiting, don't you think?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm a Slayer, not a judge," she said. "Not my place to punish him. Of course, that doesn't prevent me from making a citizen's arrest and handing him over to the human authorities," she added, with a drawl.

Rack laughed. "And how long, exactly, do you think a set a bars will keep me locked up, Slayer?"

"He has a point," the Doctor mused.

"Which is why I haven't gone after him before now," Buffy said flatly. "No matter how tempted I might have been."

"Know the feeling," the Doctor sighed. "You know it isn't going to end well, you know you could stop it, and yet you find wondering 'Do I have the right…?'"

A flash of surprise showed in Buffy's eyes. "Yeah," she said softly. "Kinda sums it up."

Suddenly more confident, Rack straightened and smoothed his jacket. "So what do you want, Slayer – no, let me guess," his eyes slid towards Willow and Tara felt her grip tighten. "Hello, Strawberries, need a hit, do we?"

The Doctor sighed. "They never listen," he murmured, before taking a deep breath. "Let's try this again, shall we," he said, with forced cheeriness. "I'm the Doctor, this is the TARDIS, and the way out-" He waved an arm at the door. "Is locked. I'll give you three guesses why. Here's a hint: it's got nothing to do with strawberries."

A knowing leer appeared on Rack's face as he circled around the console. "Who's she?" he asked, suddenly pointing at Tara. "I don't recognise her, but she's got a smell of power around her—"

"Leave her alone!" Willow said, her voice full of stone.

"Ah!" Rack said smoothly. "Let me guess, the lovely Tara Maclay – pity you never brought her with you, strawberries, we could have had such fun—"

"I_ said_," Willow snarled dangerously. "Leave her _alone._"

For a moment, the TARDIS's light dimmed and, realising what was happening, Tara squeezed Willow's hand. "Willow, honey, he's trying to provoke you," she said urgently. "Don't give him the satisfaction." Willow shuddered, then gave an abrupt nod. The TARDIS's light brightened.

"Well, that was interesting," the Doctor said, giving Willow a piercing look. "But let's get back to the subject at hand, shall we? Three guesses, not to be mistaken for that _other _old chestnut, three wishes – ah, which reminds me, I don't suppose you're missing a genie, by any chance? It's just that I seem to have a spare and I can't figure out where it might have come from – Oi! Where do you think you're_ going_?"

Suddenly, Rack darted for the door – the _other _door – and Buffy leaped over the rail, her fingers brushing the edges of his jacket a moment too late as he slammed through it.

"Bugger!" The Doctor declared, jumping over the railing himself as Buffy gave chase. "Buffy! Slayer! Don't—"

"What the hell?" the door swung open once more, to reveal an astonished Slayer. "How big is this place? I lost him in the first corridor."

The Doctor sighed a breath of relief. "Lucky for you," he said. "The TARDIS has very distinct opinions on unwelcome guests. Follow me."

Tara tugged gently at Willow's hand and they both followed the Doctor into the hallway. "Tara, you're with me. Buffy, you go with Willow down…" he pointed at a seemingly random corridor. "_That _way."

"What about the whole 'unwelcome guest' thing," Willow piped up uncertainly.

"Taken care of," the Doctor said brusquely. "If you find him, give out a shout. I'll hear you."

Buffy nodded and strode down the corridor, Willow following reluctantly behind her after throwing a last look at Tara over her shoulder. Tara sighed.

"They'll be okay; right as rain, in fact," the Doctor said abruptly.

"You can't be certain of that," Tara said.

"Hmm," the Doctor said. "Kind of can, actually, Rack's _this _way."

"Then why—"

"For the best, don't you think?" the Doctor interrupted gently. "Buffy said it herself: he's human, out of her jurisdiction, and Willow…" he shrugged. "Best not to tempt her, eh?"

Tara frowned at him. "What are you going to do to him, Doctor?"

"Who? Me?" the Doctor said, looking momentarily nonplussed. "I'm not going to do anything to him! Just need to get that genie back in the bottle."

"Uhuh," Tara drawled. "So you're no longer angry about the Minosians? You no longer think Rack should be taught a lesson?"

"Oh, I never said _that,_" the Doctor said grimly. "Come on."

Silently, Tara followed him through the TARDIS and ruefully watched him navigate the maze of never ending corridors. He never hesitated, never paused before he turned; he was completely at home in this world of twists and turns. "Do they ever end?" Tara asked softly. "The corridors, I mean."

The Doctor looked down at her and grinned. "It's fluid," he said. "The TARDIS is a big as she needs to be."

Tara nodded; in a weird way, it made a sort of sense. Of course, it also made the Doctor's unerring sense of direction even more baffling – unless he was bluffing it, she realised suddenly. "How do you know?" she asked suddenly. "If the TARDIS is always changing, how do you know which corridor to take?"

The Doctor grinned. "I don't," he said cheerfully. "But it doesn't matter. All I need is a destination."

Tara rolled her eyes. "You and Confucius would make a great double act," she said dryly.

"Yes, we did, actually – how did you know?" he shot back with a cheeky smile.

"You're impossible," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Best way to be," he said agreeably. "Ooh, wait, we're here!"

Tara looked at the door they'd halted at and her eyes widened. "Hey, isn't that—"

The Doctor laughed. "Yes, I know, it has a certain symmetry, don't you think?"

Tara glared at him accusingly. "You set this up!" she said. "You knew he'd run for the other door once he knew he was trapped inside. You knew it and you made certain he's end up here, imprisoned in the same room as the Genie!"

"Did I? Brilliant! I'm a regular mastermind!" he declared. "Of course, to do that, I'd have to know exactly which corridors he'd run down—"

"No, you bloody well wouldn't—"

"Bloody? Where did you pick that word up?"

"You said it yourself, remember?" she said, ignoring him. "The corridors don't matter, all that matters is the destination – and you rigged it! I don't know how you did it, but you did!"

"Yes, well…" he shrugged.

"He could have been hurt. He could be dead!"

"True, that kind of thing tends to happen when you find an unexpected fire breathing genie on your travels."

"You said you weren't going to do anything to him!"

"And I didn't," the Doctor said hotly. "I didn't lay one _bloody _finger on him! I didn't force him to make a run for it instead of coming clean. I didn't force him to run through that door! He did it to himself!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Doctor," Tara retorted. "But you and I know the truth."

The Doctor fell silent. "You may be right," he said reluctantly. "Mercy isn't my strongest trait, not anymore. There's only so much death you can see before…" He sighed. "The Genie hasn't awoken yet."

"What?"

"The Genie hasn't awoken yet," the Doctor repeated stiffly. "I always give them a chance. One chance. He hasn't had his yet."

Tara shivered as she saw the ice in his eyes. She didn't care how alien he was; nobody should have that expression on their face, feel that amount of despair. "Doctor," she said quietly. "You do realise, don't you, that…" She took a deep breath, willing herself to say the right words. "It's not your fault. You're not responsible and…and…it doesn't matter how powerful you are, how strong you are, you can't save everyone. You can't make everything right… or…or safe. As much as you may try, as much as may push and prod and hope, it's not going to happen. People are going to die, people are going to be lost. All you can do is your best. Buffy… Buffy learned that the hard way, don't do that to yourself."

"You don't understand," he said flatly.

"Then show me," Tara pleaded. "Show me what I don't understand." And, for a brief moment, she thought he would.

"The Genie is about to wake up," he said, shaking his head.

Tara sighed. "You'd better open it up, then."

He pushed at the door and it swung open silently. The Genie was a large, slumbering pile in the middle of the room, and Rack had squeezed himself into the furthest corner. "The door wouldn't open," he said hoarsely. "And my magic doesn't work."

"No," the Doctor said, standing in the Doorway. "You were where you were supposed to be."

The genie snorted in his sleep and Rack whimpered. "I want to get out."

The doctor tilted his head and examined him. "That can be arranged," he said. "Once you give me the lamp."

"I…I don't have it."

"But you did."

Rack nodded. "I gave it to Amy."

"Just like that," the Doctor said flatly. "You just gave it to her, no strings attached."

"She owes me."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "Owes you what, exactly?"

"Strawberries," Rack rasped. "She promised me strawberries."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

"I told you it was rat girl!" The Doctor said smugly as he stepped back and let Rack run from the room.

"Shouldn't we be chasing after him?" Tara asked, watching Rack dart down the corridor and skid around the corner.

"Nah" the Doctor declared. "I'm sure your friend Buffy will take care of him."

"Let me guess, the corridor leads straight to her," Tara realised aloud. "You _knew_ he'd make a run for it."

"Weeeell, _know_ is such a strong word," he said, as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "Let's just say I made an educated guess and planned accordingly." He grinned. "Well, I suppose our next step is going back to Rack's place."

Why?" Tara asked distractedly.

"Because that's where your Willow arranged to meet her," the Doctor said, as he led the way back to the control room.

"Of course," Tara sighed. "How silly of me, I should have realised."

"Was that sarcasm?

Tara pulled a face. "That was worry," she admitted. "Amy isn't as powerful as me, but she has a better understanding of offensive magic and, more importantly, she won't hesitate in using it."

"And you don't want to put Willow in the position of having to fend her off," the Doctor said, with a sharp nod. "Will the trick we used on Rack work on her?"

"To a certain degree, I think," Tara said, after a moment. "Amy's a witch, which means she can do a lot of stuff under her own power, much like a sorcerer would, but she isn't very powerful, so she'd probably use an outside power source for her more powerful spells….my guess is, that's how she hooked up with Rack in the first place."

"Sounds like a right piece of work," the Doctor muttered.

Tara shrugged uncomfortably. "Actually, I feel a bit sorry for her," she said. "Willow told me she wasn't like this before she was turned into a rat. I guess all those years inside a rat cage changed her."

"She tried to murder you, Tara, and she got all those people on Abera Amin killed," the Doctor said grimly. "I don't care how difficult her life has been, nothing excuses that."

"So what are you going to do, Doctor? Lock her up and throw away the key?" Tara asked.

"We'll deal with that when we come to it," he said evasively. "First we find her and get the genie lamp back."

Tara frowned at his back as he quickened his pace and strode ahead. She didn't like the sound of that. "Doctor?" she called after him. "Doctor, what are you thinking? Be honest."

He looked over his shoulder at her. "I'm thinking that I'm not the slayer, Tara, I _can_ punish humans, and I won't hesitate in doing it if I think it's for the best – is that honest enough for you?" He slammed through the control room doors, and Tara followed him, coming to a halt as she spotted Buffy leaning against the rail, a bound and gagged Rack lying on the floor beside her.

"Ah!" the Doctor said, his voice suddenly full of cheer. "I see you found him, then. Good stuff. We'll drop him off when we collect the other one."

"The other one?" Tara's eyes followed the sound of Willow's voice and spotted her straightening up on the other side of the central console. She grinned; it seemed Willow couldn't help having a peek at the console when the Doctor wasn't looking.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he spotted her, and he bounded up the ramp and glared at the console suspiciously. "I do hope you didn't try to look under the hood," he muttered, as he shined a lever with his coat sleeve..

"If that's your way of asking whether I looked for the power source, then no… although I was tempted," Willow added, under her breath.

"You didn't answer Willow's original question," Buffy pointed out bluntly, folding her arms. "Why are we letting Rack go, and who is this 'other one'?"

"Amy," Tara said softly.

Buffy blinked. "Really?" she said, the surprise evident in her voice. "Wow, I didn't think she had it in her. It just goes to show you, you can't judge a bad guy by their cover. I always thought she'd never go beyond the nickel and dime stuff."

"Why is that?" the Doctor asked, curious.

"Fear, mostly," Buffy admitted. "She always struck me as all bravado, with very little spine. Sure, she likes to talk the talk, but when it comes down to it, she's an addict, not an evil mastermind. The only thing that motivates her is finding her next hit…sorry, Willow."

Willow shrugged, embarrassed. "You shouldn't be," she said softly. "It's true."

"So, you think this plan is a little too well thought out for this Amy to be behind it?" the Doctor mused.

Buffy frowned thoughtfully. "She always struck me as someone who wouldn't think twice about hurting one of us, especially after Willow shut her out, but this seems a bit sophisticated for her," she said. "This took a lot of thought and effort; it wasn't a spur of the moment plan."

"It's a bit sophisticated for Rack, too," Willow said suddenly, as she stared at the tied up Warlock on the floor. "I mean, he's smart, but he's always been way too self absorbed to play these sort of games just for a taste of me. There are plenty of people lining up to get what he's offering."

"And what does he offer?" the Doctor asked softly.

"Peace," Willow murmured. "At least for a little while."

"You think there's someone else involved?" the Doctor asked, turning to Buffy once more.

"It's usually how things work around here," Buffy said. "You start off thinking they are just a lot of nasty but unrelated incidents, and then you discover that they're all connected, somehow – usually about a week before the apocalypse."

"You really _do _lead an eventful life, don't you?" the Doctor asked rhetorically.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Buffy muttered.

"Oh, I think you'll find that I'm quite open, in that regard," the Doctor said, grinning wildly as he prodded at the console. "But, for now, let's just concentrate on getting the genie bottle, eh?"

He pushed a lever up, and the TARDIS began to hum once more. This time, the Doctor twiddled a different dial. "Same place, different time," he muttered. "You were supposed to meet at eight, weren't you?"

"Oh, yeah, eight o'clock," Willow said weakly.

The Doctor nodded grimly as the TARDIS's central column came to a rest. "We're here," he said, as he stared at the monitor intently. "And it seems she's waiting for us."

"What?" Willow squeaked.

"Look for yourself," he said, his voice flat.

Tara saw Willow's eyes widen, and hurried up the ramp to look at the monitor herself. "What is that?" she asked, as her eyes took in Amy and the creature beside her.

"It looks like a crone," Buffy observed, over her shoulder. "I mean, like in one of those crones in the old fairytales Mom used to read to me as a kid."

"Not quite," the Doctor said softly. "But close enough, I suppose. They're called the Carrionites."

"You recognise them?" Buffy asked.

"Oh yes," the Doctor said, "Although I've never met one in person before."

"They're…aliens?" Tara asked, unsurely.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, with a frown. "And ones that would feel quite at home on a Hellmouth, I suspect. They're the intergalactic equivalent of magic users."

"Willow gulped "Magic users?"

"Oh, I shouldn't worry," the Doctor drawled. "I should be able to clear this all up, once I remind her of the finer points of the Shadow proclamation."

"The Shadow proclamation?" Buffy echoed.

"Set of rules, set up to prevent this kind of thing," the Doctor explained breezily as he trotted down the ramp and opened the door.

"DOCTOR!"

Tara hurried after him as she heard the voice screech his name. Hadn't he said he'd never met one of them before?

"Sorry, I don't think we've met…?"

"You destroyed my sisters!"

Did I? Oh dear, there I go crossing my own timeline again—"

"DIE! _Viva-volum-pitif!_"!"

Tara reached the door just in time to see the Carrionite raise a threatening finger and Buffy flew past her just as a bolt of lightening zipped from the creature's finger, throwing the Doctor to the ground. Sometimes, it was handy having a Slayer around.

The Carrionite pointed once more, her lips forming the curse, and Buffy hit out with a kick, knocking her hand away, as the Doctor scrambled to his feet and suddenly clapped a hand over the Carrionite's mouth. "Words," the Doctor panted. "Her power is in her words.

But not mine," Amy said coldly, as she stepped away from the wall.


End file.
